Panel For Pegasus “To Dispel Wrong Narrative”, Center Tells Supreme Court

Pegasus Row: “The government will constitute a committee of experts in the field to go into all aspects of the issue,” the Centre said.

New Delhi: The Pegasus snooping allegations are based on conjectures and “unsubstantiated media reports” and will be examined by a group of experts to dispel any wrong narrative, the government told the Supreme Court today.

In a two-page affidavit filed by the Additional Secretary, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, the Centre denied allegations linked to recent reports that Israeli Pegasus spyware – sold only to governments – was used to target opposition leaders, journalists, and others.

The document said the government “unequivocally denies” allegations and they are “based on conjectures and surmises or on other unsubstantiated media reports or incomplete or uncorroborated material”.

The petitioners “have not made out any case”, the government told the court. But “to dispel any wrong narrative spread by certain vested interests and with an object of examining the issues raised”, the government will constitute a committee of experts in the field to go into all aspects of the issue, the affidavit said, citing the statement in parliament by Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnav.